Train-bumper



H. VABDER. TRAIN BUMPER.

APPLICATION FILED, JUNE 24. i920.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.v

A ahttozvwg UNITED STATES I-IOLGER VARDER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TRAIN-BUMPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

Application` iled June 24, 1920. Serial No. 391,392

To all 'Lo/vrom it may concer-n Be it known that l, Herman Vrin-DER, a citizen of the United States, residing at borough of Manhattan, city of New York, in the county of New York and State of N ew York, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Train-Bumpers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in train bumpers for use in terminals, or on sidings, or in similar' locations, where is desired to bring a car, or train of cars, to a stand-still in a short distance without a sudden shock or the danger of the cars leaving the track. This improved bumper is designed to stop a moving train within a distance of a few feet and without causing damage to either the train or bumper, and the result is accomplished byfrictional resistance which is brought into opposition to the movement of thetrain.

@ne of the objects of the invention is to provide a frictional bumper which primarily gradually increases the frictional resistance as it starts to move backward under the pressure of the train, and a further object is to provide an eflicient bumper of this type of simple construction and at the same time a substantial structure.

These and other objects hereinafter set forth, are attained by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device taken on the line 1--1 of Fig. 2. i

Fig. 2 is a View on the line 2--2 of'Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Figpl shoving the brake-shoe in an operating position and also illustrating' a modified form of supporting base.

t Iis a detail view showing a modified form of supporting means for the brakeshoe, and l Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view showing a plan view of one of the friction plates.

Similar reference numerals in`all of the figures of the drawing designate like parts.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe drawing, 5 designates a supporting beam having its rear end embedded in a concrete wall 6, and whose front end is fastened by bolts 6 to a plurality of anchor-plates 7, the ends of which are secured in concrete piers 8 yeX- tending forwardly from the wall 6, and said anchor-plates extend across the space between the piers and beneath the supporting beam 5 which is positioned longitudinally in said space.

Mounted to travel along the supporting bea-m' 5 is a brake-shoe 9 which is formed with depending side arms 10 connected at their top ends by a bracket 11, and connected at their bottom by a suitable connection 12 which forms a housing for springs 29. Adjacent the rear edge of the shoe is suitably mounted in the bracket 11 a supporting-roller 15 that is adapted to engage the upper surface of the supporting beam 5.

Secured to the underside of the supporting beam 5 are the friction bars 16, the front ends of which are interposed between the anchor plates 7, and their rear ends are.

secured to the beam 5 by the bolts 17 in a manner to space the bars apart and permit a slight vertical movement relative to each other and to the bottom of the supporting beam.

Positioned between the friction bars 16 are the friction plates 18, which are substantially equal in width to the bars 16, and are provided preferably at their rear ends, with side projections 19 that are adapted to extend through openings 20 formed through the sides 10 of the brake-shoe.

Secured to the bottom of the brake-shoe is y:1n extension 21 to which is secured one end of the springs 23 whose front ends are ysecured to angle-bars 24 suitably and rigidly fixed to the piers 8 and extending across the space between the piers. These springs form an initial resisting force to the movement of the brake shoe, so that, when the force of aI moving body is applied to the brake-shoe above the friction members ay tilting movement is caused to the brakcshoe, which in turn causes the friction mem` bers to tightly engageI each other in proportion to tle force applied by the springs 29.

The force from the movin@1 train is applied through the boom 25 which is preferably formed of two U-shaped beams positioned with their open sides next to the supporting beam 5 and connected at their front ends by a cap or buffer head 26 against which the moving train pushes. The boom is supported by, and guided in a horizontal plane by guide-rollers 27 which are pivoted to the supporting beam 5, and the force applied to the boom is transmitted to brake-shoe by the engagement of the rear end of the boom with abutments 28 rigidly supported by the side arms 10. The engagement between these abutments 28 and the end of the boom is a contact engagement, so that the tendency of the force applied is to move the brake-shoe from its normal slightly inclined position, as shown in Fig. 1, to a vertical position as shown in Fio. 3, thereby pressing the springs 29 against the friction plates. In the normally slightly inclined position of the brakeshoe the friction-plates 18 are in relatively loose engagement with the friction-bars 16, so that they can slide easily thereover, but when the brake-shoe is caused to move in the direction of its vertical position, the frictionplates and bars are forced into relatively tight engagement in proportiony to the amount of force applied by the compression of the springs 29, thereby creating suilicient friction to retard the'movement of the train.

It will readily be seen 'that the pressure from the springs) on the friction-plates is constant depending on the compression of these springs when the end of the boom lies -ilat against the abutment 28. The size oi' the frictional force is in proportion to the pressure from the springs 29 on the frictionplates, and also depends upon the condition of the friction surfaces whether dry, rusty or oily. The pressure from the springs will increase with increased friction, and will decrease with decreasing vertical distance between the fric-tional force and the pressure of the boom on the abutment. The pressure 'from the springs must as shown above remain constant, therefore if the friction increz ses, say due to rust, the vertical distance must automatically decrease as the center of the pressure on the abutment will movecloser to the lower edge of the boom, and if lthe friction becomes small, say due to greasy surfaces, the center of the pressure moves automatically closerto the upper edge of the boom. By this arrangement the brake-shoe is prevented from getting stuck due to too great friction:

`Openings 2O in the side-arms of the brake- Y shoe are formedwith a plurality of shoulders located in advance of each other, so that in normal or initial position the friction plates 18 will be positioned slightly in advance of each other with the uppermost plates near the rear end of the openings 20.

lThus as the force is applied, the plates 18 In operation, with the parts in normal or initial position, as shown in Fig. 1, when the train strikes the buffer-end of the boom the force is transmitted by impact to the brake-shoe with the tendency of driving the brake-shoe rearwardly and producingr a tilting movement which is caused by the initial resistance means, viz., the springs 23, or their equivalent which might be a counterweight. It is obvious that the tilting movement will force the frictional members together which will cause a drag in opposition to the moving body, and which in a short distance will overcome the pressure of the moving body and thereb gradually stop the train. Y Y

As the brake-shoe starts to travel backwardly from the pressure applied, it engages the friction-plates 18 in succession, and thus increases the frictional resistance gradually at the beginning .of the rearward movement. After the train has vbeen stopped and then withdrawn from engagement with the bumper, the initial resistance means 23 will then act to return the brake-shoe to its starting point and in position to receive another operating pressure. It is clearly obvious that the friction-plates are moved rearwardly by the front edges of the openings 2O engaging the ,heads 19, and forwardly or back to normal position, by the rear edges or shoulders of the opening 20.

In the modilication shownin Fig. 4, of the drawings, a sliding shoe 38 is provided to support the brake-shoe upon the supporting beam 5.V

What is claimed is 1. In a train-bumper, a iixed supporting beam, a brake-shoe mounted on said beam to move back Aand forth thereon, separate groups of friction members arranged in alternate relation to each other and mounted respectively fixed and movable with said brake-shoe, and a movable boom guided on said' supporting bea-m and engaging the brake-shoe intermediate `the friction members and the top side of the brake-Shoe.

2. In a train-bumper, a fixed supporting beam, a brake-shoe mounted on said beam to move back and Aforth thereon, vseparate groups lof friction members arranged in alternate relation to each-other and mounted respectively ixed and movable with said brake-shoe, and la movable boom guided on said supporting beam and engaging the brake-shoe intermediate the friction members andthe top side of the brake-shoe, and an initial resistance means attached to the lower end of the brake-shoe. y Y

3. In a train-bumper, a fixedrsupporting beam, a brake-shoe mounted on said beam to move back and forth thereon and constructed to straddle said supporting beam, separate groups of friction members arranged in alternate relation to each other and mounted respectively fixed and movable with said brake-shoe, and a movable boom guided on both sides of said supporting beam and engaging the brake-shoe intermediate the friction members and the top side of the brake-shoe.

4. In a. train-bumper, a fixed supporting beam, a brake-shoe mounted on said beam to move back and forth thereon, said brakeshoe being provided at its upper end with a guide roller to travel on the top edge of the supporting beam and at its lower end With a resistance means operating to produce a tilting movement of the brake-shoe, separate groups of friction members arranged in alternate relation to each other and mounted respectively fixed and movable With said brake-shoe, and a movable boom guided on said supporting beam and engaging the brake-shoe intermediate the friction members and the top side of the brakeshoe.

5. In a train-bumper, a fixed supporting beam, a brake-shoe mounted on said beam to move back and forth thereon, separate groups of friction members arranged in alternate relation to each other and mounted respectivelyT fixed and movable `with said brake-shoe, and a movable boom guided on said supporting beam and engaging the brake-shoe by impact intermediate the friction members and the top side of the brake shoe.

6. In a train-bumper, a fixed supporting beam, a brake-shoe mounted on said beam to move back and forth thereon and constructed to straddle said supporting beam, separate groups of friction members arranged in alternate relation to each other and mounted respectively fixed and movable with said brake-shoe, said brake-shoe being formed with openings in its side arms to receive portions of the movable friction members, and sa'id openings being formed with a. plurality of advanced shoulders to position the movable friction members initially advanced relative to each other, and a movable boom guided on both sides of said supporting beam and engaging the brake-shoe intermediate the friction members and the top side of the brake-shoe.

7. In a train-bumper, a fixed supporting beam, a brake-shoe mounted on said beam to move back and forth thereon and constructed to straddle said supporting beam and provided With abutments on its side arms, separate groups of friction members arranged in alternate relation to each other and mounted respectively fixed and movable With said brake-shoe, and a movable boom guided on both sides of said supporting beam and engaging the abutments on the brake-shoe intermediate the friction members and the top side of the brake-shoe.

8. In a train-bumper, a fixed supporting beam, a brake-shoe mounted on said beam to move back and forth thereon and constructed to straddle said supporting beam, separate groups of friction members arranged in alternate relation to each other and mounted respectively fixed and movable with said brake-shoe, and a movable boom guided on rollers pivoted on both sides of said supporting beam and engaging the brake-shoe intermediate the friction members and the top side of the brake-shoe.

9. In a train-bumper, a fixed supporting beam, a brake-shoe mounted on said beam to move back and forth thereon, separate groups of friction members arranged in alternate relation to each other and mounted respectively fixed and movable With the brake-shoe, a movable boom guided on said supporting beam and engaging the brakeshoe above the friction members, and springs adapted to be pressed against the friction members by the tilting of the brake-shoe When engaged by the boom.

10. In a train-bumper, a fixed supporting beam, a brake-shoe mounted on said beam to move back and forth thereon, separate groups of friction members arranged in alternate relation t0 each other and mounted respectively fixed and movable with the brake-shoe, a movable boom guided on said supporting beam and engaging the brakeshoe above the friction members, and springs adapted to be pressed against the friction members with a constant pressure caused by a restricted tilting movement of the brake-shoe when engaged by the boom.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HOLGER VARDER. 

